Sudan president against foreign forces

The Sudanese president has voiced strong opposition to the deployment of Western troops in war-torn Darfur.

21 Jun 2006 06:59 GMT

Al-Bashir is against international military intervention in Darfur

"I swear that there will not be any international military intervention in Darfur as long as I am in power," state media quoted Omar al-Bashir as telling a meeting of his ruling National Congress in Khartoum late on Monday.

"Sudan, which was the first country south of the Sahara to gain independence, cannot now be the first country to be recolonised," he said.

The United Nations wants to replace an embattled and under-equipped contingent of African troops in the western region of Darfur with its own peacekeepers in an attempt to support a fragile peace deal.

Khartoum has not completely ruled out a UN takeover but has repeatedly voiced its opposition to any deployment without its prior consent, and accused Western powers of challenging Sudan's sovereignty.